1. FSV Mainz 05 moved into their new home in 2011, OPEL ARENA. The new stadium contributed to the growth of the club and positively impacted the safety and security inside and around the stadium. The club is constantly improving and fulfilling the demands of both their fans and the German Professional Football League (DFL).

Through innovative concepts, the club made significant progress in terms of crowd management and stewarding, having implemented several new strategies to ensure that all fans are feeling safe at OPEL ARENA.

ESSMA interviewed, Jan van Merwijk - Director Feijenoord Stadium - about their upcoming development project, Feyenoord City. Feyenoord City is a broad urban development including a new river-based stadium and a redevelopment of the current stadium. With the new 63,000 capacity stadium, Feyenoord Rotterdam wants to move the club forward in terms of commercial, organisational and team aspect. With the project, the revenue streams of the club should substantially increase due to additional ticket sales, higher revenues from hospitality, enhanced sponsor value and non-football events.

We have chosen to create an iconic stadium at the waterfront so that the stadium will be a prominent part of the city with attractiveness for daily visits, business and tourism. An area with restaurants, retail, leisure and housing will create a lively hotspot. In addition, we will have a full-service mobility package in place; not only for the business guest but all 63,000 visitors.

I'll share with participants an insight in the development of the new Feyenoord stadium in the context of the largest inner-city urban development in the Netherlands.

What was the strategy of the club in terms of multifunctional use? And how will you ensure a smooth transition between football and other events?

The strategy is to build the best football stadium ever and the best big event venue ever without making concessions to either setting. We've found technical solutions for a quick and cost-effective changeover between football and event mode, so we can do all sorts of events throughout the year.

Are you already preparing the staff for the transition to the new stadium?

The current staff is involved in the development plans. Their operational experience is important in this process. Next to that, we use external specialist to develop a vision on how the sports, events and hospitality world will be in the coming decades.

There is a plan to gradually increase the staff in quality and quantity the next years until we start the operation in the new stadium in 2024.

What can members expect from your presentation?

I'll share with participants an insight in the development of the new Feyenoord stadium in the context of the largest inner-city urban development in the Netherlands.

ESSMA interviewed, Scott Brooks - Head Groundsman at St George’s Park - about the daily pitch operations at the Football Association's National Football Centre. Delegates of our Pitch Management Workshop on 20 and 21 August will have the opportunity to visit the facilities during a two-day tour.

Which facilities are present at the training centre?

In terms of pitches there are 10 grass pitches of varying construction: 2 Desso Grassmaster, 2 fibresand, 2 SisGrass and 4 natural sand/soil ameliorated. There are 4 synthetic surfaces on-site including a full size (68x105M) 3G pitch with green EPDM infill, a community pitch, an education pitch and a blind football specific pitch.

In terms of the grounds team and equipment, which resources do you have at your disposition?

The site is maintained by a team of 10 groundsmen and 4 estates workers. There is a gardener to look after the hotel landscaping and a casual groundsperson is employed in the growing season. Every pitch has a full irrigation system and 5 pitches benefit from undersoil heating. Most operations including spraying and fertilising are carried out in-house. Renovation support is provided by Hewitt Sportsturf up to the point of new topdressing, and then our groundsteam takes over to seed and grow new pitches. There is a wide variety of kit on site to allow the pitches to be maintained to the highest standards.

What is the main challenge your team faces on a daily basis?

The site doesn't benefit from an off-season. Football is played on-site all year round with very little rest period afforded to the pitches when in play post-renovation. The renovation season runs from mid-March to the end of August.

I will share with participants how we manage the disease pressures culturally on site and explain the renovation processes and why these are important to creating surfaces that perform to the highest level for the athletes using them.

Which impact have diseases on the pitches and how do you tackle them?

With the reduction in the amount of curative fungicides on the market, it is more important than ever to ensure preventative cultural practices are employed on a daily basis. Everything from the control of organic build-up, watering schedules and stress management.

What is the role of technology with regard of the pitch?

Pitch performance parameters are becoming more and more important in regard to injury prevention. Regular testing and monitoring of the surfaces are important to help understand why the pitch performs in a particular way.

What can ESSMA delegates expect during the visit?

I will share with participants how we manage the disease pressures culturally on site and explain the renovation processes and why these are important to creating surfaces that perform to the highest level for the athletes using them.

This year’s Fan Experience Workshop was organised at Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Legia Stadium, home of Legia Warsaw. Over 46 members from 16 countries learned insights and shared knowledge linked to stadium enhancing experiences, fan zones, loyalty, rewarding and attracting fans to the stadium.

Day 1

Tomasz Zahorski - Proxy of the Management Board at Legia - kicked off the Fan Experience Workshop by welcoming all participants to their home stadium. In addition, Przemyslaw Cepak explained more about Legia Warsaw’s approach towards merchandising and how Legia as a fashion brand needs a clear and coherent segmentation.

The next topic focused on fan zones and how to attract fans to your stadium. Thomas Skov Petersen shared the process on how Brøndby IF implemented their fan zone which has been built on the core value of the club, namely the community and their fans. In addition, participants shared their opinions and initiatives on how to enhance the stadium experience.

On Day 2, delegates took part in a group discussion where the main topics focused on loyalty programme and how to reward your most loyal fans. Several clubs are in the process of implemented a loyalty programme, while others who have already a loyalty programme in place and looking at ideas on how to enhance and improve it.

Furthermore, Joeri Verbossen focused his presentation on how PSV Eindhoven is using data and technology through marketing intelligence to enhance its fanbase marketing with some practical examples. In addition, Marcin Pelc and Grzegorz Stańczuk explained how Ekstraklasa’s digital approach, its app and the implementation of eSports. To wrap up the 2019 ESSMA Fan Experience Workshop, Bas Schnater shared more insights on how to use data to enhance fan engagement and which initiatives AZ Alkmaar has implemented.

ESSMA (the European Stadium & Safety Management Association) is proud and honoured to share that the 2019 edition of our annual Development & Operations Workshop will take place at the recently inaugurated Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As one of the first industry events held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, on 3 and 4 September, ESSMA Members will be able to experience the state-of-art venue with remarkable concepts and the latest technologies implemented e.g. the retractable pitch, a microbrewery and stadium bowl screens which are the largest In Western Europe. In addition, participants will be able to learn from the unique insights of the stadium development project and its daily operations.

The 62,062 capacity stadium is designed to set a new benchmark in fan experience, with uninterrupted sightlines and fans closer to the pitch than at any other comparable stadium around. The stands are created to be as steep as UK guidelines allow, including a single-tier south stand that holds 17,500, the largest single-tier stand in the UK, where fans join together to generate a deafening ‘wall of sound’. In addition, the stadium features a retractable grass pitch, which splits into three and slides under the south stand to reveal a synthetic surface underneath to be used for NFL matches and other major sports and entertainment events such as concerts. The new stadium was officially inaugurated on 3 April 2019 with a Premier League match against Crystal Palace.

The European Stadium & Safety Management Association (ESSMA) will meet up during the Fan Experience Workshop. The event will be held in Warsaw (Poland) from 21 to 22 May at Legia Warsaw’s Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Legia Stadium.

Members and attendees will be welcomed by Legia Warsaw and experience a unique behind-the-scenes stadium tour. The topics of the different sessions will focus on fan activation, attracting fans to the stadium, targeting fans, loyalty, rewarding, fan zones and enhancing the stadium experience.

The workshop will take place in the Marshal Jozef Pilsudski Legia Stadium, home of Legia Warsaw. The first part of building the new stadium started on 17 November 2008 and in less than two years it was completed with three stands – North, East and South – ready to use. The new stadium is situated in the same place as the old one and during the construction works Legia played home games there but with a smaller capacity. The new stadium was officially opened on August 7 2010 with a friendly match between Legia Warsaw and Arsenal FC.

The UEFA Category 4 Stadium holds a capacity of approximately 31,000 seats and has multiple facilities such as pitch heating, a club museum, sports bar and more. Moreover, the stadium has been used for several European matches such as the semi-final of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991 and the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League in 1996.

In total 38 ESSMA delegates from 17 different stadiums, clubs, federations and leagues participated in the ESSMA Lisbon Stadium Tour, supported by Populous, with visits to SL Benfica and Sporting CP.

Part one of the tour focused on the daily operations at Estádio da Luz with a presentation by Henrique Conceicão - Events, Innovation and Business Development Director at SL Benfica - on how the club's organisational leadership status shaped its strategic development. Henrique gave more insights in the overall organisation and evolution of SL Benfica as a club and the stadium during the last three decades. In addition, Pedro Félix - Facilities Director at SL Benfica - presented several facts and figures concerning the facilities at both the stadium and the club’s training facilities. Furthermore, Tom Jones – Senior Principal at Populous – the architects of Estadio da Luz gave a brief presentation on trends in stadium design and renovation. Afterwards, participants enjoyed an in-depth stadium tour with several stops including the Benfica Academy, Corporate Club and hospitality rooms, facilities department, pitch, matchday operations department, etc.

“Populous was delighted to meet with ESSMA members to discuss recent trends in stadium design and renovation as part of the Estadio da Luz stadium tour in Lisbon. 15 years after our practice completed the design for the stadium, it was immensely satisfying to see that the Estadio da Luz remains a world-class venue, and the opportunity to connect with so many senior representatives from within the sports industry was invaluable.”

Sporting CP was the next stop of the Lisbon Stadium tour where participants took part in an Estádio José Alvalade tour and learned more about the club’s daily operations. Guided by Facilities Director Ricardo Gonçalves and his colleagues, the ESSMA delegates had the opportunity to discover all technical areas of the stadium and ended the tour with a visit to the club’s museum.

Afterwards, the ESSMA delegates travelled to Porto to join us during the fifth ESSMA Summit at Estádio do Dragão.

ESSMA interviewed Leif Bjørn, Security Manager at Telia Parken. Together with his colleagues, Leif has the overall responsibility regarding safety and access control at the venue. Telia Parken is one of the host venues of our Safety & Security Workshop on 13 and 14 November.

How many staff work in your department? And what is the ratio of volunteers and full-time staff?

The security department at Telia Parken consists of me and one other colleague on a full-time and daily basis. Furthermore, there are 2 SLO’s which are responsible for linking with our fans. In total, we have 300 steward volunteers. If necessary we can acquire extra stewards to support us on matchdays.

How many stewards are present on matchdays?

Depending on the number of fans we expect, they are working between 150 and 550 stewards on matchdays.

How is the communication and cooperation between the different services (stewards, police and video operators) coordinated?

All communication goes through the control room. There are representatives from all parties including the police and fire department present. If there are questions or issues to address it is easy to communicate with them. From our side, it is important that when somebody outside the stadium contacts the police, we know about it as well so we can assist them.

How do you retain your stewards and keep them motivated?

We have a lot of educational sessions and social activities, so stewards feel that they are appreciated and valued at the club. Furthermore, during Europa/Champions League campaigns, we try to visit one of the clubs we play against.

Which are the main challenges regarding Safety & Security at Telia Parken?

On matchdays, pyrotechnics are our main challenge. We have to make sure that it doesn’t enter the stadium. On non matchdays, access control and making sure that all the gates are closed are our key priorities.

Can you share more information about a project at Telia Parken of which you are proud?

A decade ago, we launched our FCK Away system. Fans which want to attend away matches of FC København have to sign up for the Away fan club and should be known in our database before getting access to away tickets. When they arrive at the stadium, they have to swipe their fan card at a scanner. On the scanner, a steward from our club will see a picture of the fan and a green or red frame around the picture. If the frame is green, there are no problems and the fan will be able to attend the match. However, when the frame turns red, the fan will first have to talk to the responsible steward to learn what the problem might be e.g. a new picture, an incident during a previous match, etc. We receive a lot of positive feedback about the system during our away matches.

“The FCK Away system is something the club has been using for the last decade. We have received a lot of positive feedback from clubs we visited about the system.”

Why should ESSMA Members participate in the ESSMA Safety & Security Workshop?

Connecting with industry professionals and sharing best practices are extremely important. The ESSMA Safety & Security Workshop is a great opportunity to share our knowledge with each other. There is a lot we already know, but you will always bring something new and valuable back to your stadium after events like these.

Furthermore, I want to share the best practices of Telia Parken with all ESSMA Members and learn from other participants as well.

“There is a lot of things that we already know, but there will always be something that you can bring with you home to use in your own league ore in your own stadium.”

The European Stadium & Safety Management Association (ESSMA) will gather on 13 and 14 November in Copenhagen for its Safety & Security Workshop. Telia Parken and Brøndby Stadium will be the host venues for the event.

On Day 1, participants will visit Telia Parken, home of FC København and the Danish National Team. At Telia Parken, the topics will focus on stewarding and crowd management. On Day 2, participants will visit Brøndby Stadium, home of Brøndby IF, were the focus will be on ultras, pyrotechnics and new technologies related to safety and security. Furthermore, there will be an in-depth stadium tour at both venues.

Telia Parken is located in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990-1992. It is the home ground of F.C. Copenhagen and the Danish national football team. On the first of September 1992, the new national stadium known as Parken was inaugurated. Parken is also used as a concert venue, and hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. As a direct consequence, a retractable roof was applied to the existing structure to make Parken a more useful venue.

About Brøndby Stadium

Brøndby Stadium is the home of Brøndby IF, situated in Copenhagen It is referred to as Vilfort Park among Brøndby supporters, named after club legend Kim Vilfort. After a rebuilding in 2000–2001, the stadium capacity is now 28,000. The rebuilt stadium was opened on 22 October 2000. Since then, the stadium has experienced a number of infrastructural and technical enhancements.

“It’s been a very good learning experience to hear from other countries and other clubs, so we are very happy with the first part of the workshop. It was nice to be able to walk around in the stadium and see what the presentations are showing, you see that in real life afterwards.”

The European Stadium & Safety Management Association (ESSMA) will gather during the Development & Construction Workshop. The event will be held in Paris (France) from 9 to 10 October at the Paris La Défense Arena.

Delegates will be welcomed by the Paris La Défense team and shown around the venue with an ‘behind-the-scenes' stadium tour. Speakers from Euroborg (FC Groningen), Racing Metro 92, etc. will share their insights and lead you through our two-day workshop.

Paris La Défense Arena is a multi-use indoor arena that was completed in 2017. It is home to French rugby union club Racing Metro 92 and located in the western suburbs of Paris. The venue offers three separate configurations. In its rugby configuration, it has a capacity of 32,000. For concerts, it will be able to seat 40,000. Finally, a movable stand allows it to be used for indoor sports, with a capacity as low as 5,000.